Speaker Ferdinand Martin G Romualdez welcomes delegates to the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum (PI-SF) 2025 during the dinner reception held Sunday night at the Solaire North, in Quezon City. In his welcome remarks, Romualdez assured them that the Philippines stands with its partners in defending sovereignty, promoting security, and upholding the rule of law. He expressed hope the forum would be remembered not merely for the words spoken but for the alliances it strengthened, commitments forged, and the course it set for the future.
SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Sunday night welcomed incumbent and former international lawmakers, diplomats, as well as security and technology experts to the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum (PI-SF), a global platform for discussing intelligence-sharing, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and other emerging security challenges.
Speaking during the welcome reception at Solaire Resort North in Quezon City, Speaker Romualdez said the gathering is a reaffirmation of commitment to a rules-based international order, deepening bonds of strategic cooperation, and ensuring that no nation— large or small—must stand alone in the face of aggression or intimidation.
“There are moments in history when the weight of responsibility bears heavily upon those entrusted with the defense of peace, the preservation of order, and the safeguarding of freedom. This gathering is one such moment,” said the leader of the 307-member Philippine House of Representatives.
“Tonight, under this roof, we are not merely representatives of nations—we are custodians of a fragile yet enduring principle: that security is built not on the shifting sands of power, but on the solid ground of cooperation, dialogue, and mutual respect,” he added.
The PI-SF, a leading platform for legislators and security experts to discuss intelligence-sharing and emerging threats, has become a cornerstone of international cooperation in countering geopolitical tensions, economic coercion, and cyber threats.
The Philippines is hosting this year’s forum, focusing on upholding a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.
Speaker Romualdez noted that the Indo-Pacific Region now finds itself at the heart of global security concerns such as territorial disputes, economic coercion, cyber threats, and the specter of geopolitical rivalry.
Noting the lessons of history, Speaker Romualdez said that great powers rise and fall, but nations that stand together in defense of shared values endure. Likewise, he said the strength of any order—political, economic, or security-based—is measured not in the might of arms alone, but in the depth of trust among those who uphold it.
However, he stressed that the stability of the Indo-Pacific will not be preserved by speeches, nor by resolutions written in the language of caution but by action.
“It will be preserved by action. By the willingness of nations to stand firm against coercion, to defend the principles enshrined in international law, and to engage with one another not as rivals, but as responsible stewards of the peace upon which our peoples depend,” he said.
He said the PI-SF forum is not just a meeting of the minds but a demonstration of resolve to be active participants in shaping the future of the world.
“As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I welcome you with the assurance that the Philippines stands with its partners in defending sovereignty, promoting security, and upholding the rule of law. We do so not out of convenience, nor out of expediency, but out of the firm belief that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice,” Speaker Romualdez said.
He expressed hope that the forum will be remembered not merely for the words spoken, “but for the alliances it strengthens, the commitments it forges, and the course it sets for generations to come.”
“Welcome, and let history mark this as a gathering of consequence,” Speaker Romualdez said.
PI-SF Chairperson, former US Congressman Robert Pittenger, thanked Speaker Romualdez and Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez for the opportunity given to PI-SF to gather in Manila for strategic collaboration, developing friendships and engagements and deepening their collective knowledge about threats to global security, especially in the Indo-Pacific Region.
The PI-SF continues in the coming days, with live-streamed sessions focused on security cooperation, intelligence-sharing, and countering emerging global threats, reaffirming its role as a premier platform for international engagement on security and stability. (
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